Media release

North Shore City Council endorses preferred option for new harbour crossing
May 8, 2008

North Shore City Council’s infrastructure and environment committee today endorsed the Waitemata Crossing Study team’s preferred option for another harbour crossing.

Committee chair Councillor Ken McKay says the council has clear support for Option 2C, which creates separate tunnels for rail and general traffic, running through to Auckland City’s Wynyard Quarter and beyond.

The road tunnel would link with the Northwest Motorway, Southern Motorway and Port, leaving the existing harbour bridge for traffic heading to Ponsonby and the CBD.
The rail tunnel would potentially connect the North Shore with the proposed central city rail loop.
The committee also publicly released North Shore City Council’s support for:
• The investigation of a rail passenger system on the North Shore to connect with a future Waitemata Harbour crossing.

• Further investigation of general traffic connections to the North Shore road network, including conclusion of preliminary road layout designs including special consideration of the potential adverse environmental, visual and ecological impacts.

• Investigation of the feasibility, timing and staging of the proposed new rail and general traffic crossings of the Waitemata Harbour.

• Significant improvements to all modes of cross-harbour passenger transport (bus, rail, ferry) as the regional priority.

North Shore City Council representatives formed part of the Waitemata Crossing Study Team which evaluated nearly 160 options to meet the objective of delivering integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable cross harbour travel between the North Shore and the isthmus, to support the planned growth of the Auckland region.
Other study partners include Transit New Zealand, Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Council, and Auckland Regional Transport Authority.

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